Understand Workflows and Playbooks
Workflows help you choose a coherent outcome without hiding the individual playbooks that deliver it.
TL;DR
A workflow groups related playbooks into one outcome. A playbook is a curated, end-to-end skill the employee leads with. Skills and playbooks load only when relevant, while duties stay active in every interaction.
How It Works
These four layers answer different questions. Keeping them separate lets you define ambitious work without turning every instruction into an always-on rule.
| Layer | What it is | When it is used | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duty | A standing standard the employee must uphold | Fully present in every interaction | “Protect private files.” |
| Skill | A reusable method for a specific kind of work | Loaded when the task matches | “Research a competitor.” |
| Playbook | A curated, end-to-end skill that delivers a valuable outcome | Loaded when that outcome is selected or relevant | “Inbox Triage.” |
| Workflow | A group of related playbooks that you can plan as one outcome | Used when you choose the work to start | “Run my inbox and calendar.” |
Workflow
A workflow is the organizing layer. It groups multiple playbooks so you can understand related work at a glance, select the exact parts you need, and give the employee a coordinated starting plan. A workflow does not add work by itself, and it is not employee-profile data today.
In the quick-start card, a workflow is the parent card and the selectable child items are the real work. Select one child and the employee receives that playbook only. Select several and the employee receives a selected-only plan, then completes the most useful work before moving to the next part.
Playbook
A playbook is the customer-visible package for an end-to-end deliverable the employee leads with. In Sistava today, a playbook is a skill marked as a Playbook, so it uses the same on-demand instruction system while appearing in its own Playbooks tab.
A playbook can stay self-contained. When part of its method will be useful across several deliverables, make that part a separate skill and reuse it instead of copying the instructions everywhere.
Skill
A skill is a reusable method. It tells the employee how to perform a type of work, such as researching a market, drafting an email, or checking a spreadsheet. The employee sees its name and “When to use” description, then loads the detailed instructions only when they fit the request.
Duty
A duty is different because it never waits for a matching task. It is a concise standard that stays in the employee’s mind every time they work, such as respecting your files or recording decisions. Use a duty for a rule that must always hold, not for a sequence of steps.
What You Can Do
| Goal | Where to do it |
|---|---|
| Choose a coordinated starting plan | Use the quick-start card when you hire or start working with an employee. Select or clear individual child items inside each workflow. |
| See the work an employee leads with | Open the employee’s Playbooks tab. It shows skills marked as Playbooks. |
| Create a reusable method | Open Skills, then create a skill with a clear “When to use” description and detailed instructions. |
| Mark a high-value deliverable as a playbook | Open a skill’s three-dot menu and choose Mark as Playbook. It then appears in Playbooks too. |
| Set a rule that applies every time | Open Duties and write a short standard, not a multi-step method. |
How to Set It Up
You do not need to create a workflow to use one. Workflows currently appear in quick-start cards as a clear way to select related playbook work before the employee begins.
To shape how an employee works:
- Open the employee’s Playbooks tab to review their end-to-end deliverables.
- Open Skills to add or improve reusable methods behind that work.
- Open Duties to add only the standards that must apply every time.
- Use the quick-start card to choose the exact playbook work you want first.
Tips & Tricks
- Keep workflows outcome-led. Group playbooks that a person naturally thinks about together, such as inbox work and calendar work.
- Keep playbooks deliverable-led. Name the useful result, not a vague department or capability.
- Extract reusable parts into skills. If the same method belongs in several playbooks, keep one skill and reference it where it is needed.
- Keep duties short. A duty consumes attention on every interaction. Put a checklist, decision tree, or long method in a skill instead.
- Start narrow when needed. You can select one child item from a workflow. The wrapper never forces the employee to do the other parts.
Good to Know
- Workflows are not yet a profile setting. They currently organize quick-start selection only. You cannot create, edit, or attach a workflow to an employee profile yet.
- Selecting a workflow is still precise. The parent card is only a shortcut. The selected child items decide which playbook requirements the employee receives.
- Playbooks and skills share the same foundation today. A playbook is a skill marked for its customer-facing, end-to-end value. The separate tab makes important deliverables easier to find.
- Nothing replaces your judgment. The employee can ask one focused question when the outcome or priority is unclear before it acts.
FAQ
Q: Is a workflow another kind of employee instruction? A: No. A workflow organizes related playbooks for a quick-start choice. The selected playbooks and skills provide the instructions, while duties remain the always-on standards.
Q: Can a playbook use just one skill? A: Yes. A playbook can be self-contained. Split out a supporting skill only when that method is useful beyond one deliverable.
Q: Can I use only one part of a workflow? A: Yes. Select the individual child item you need. The workflow wrapper does not send or add the unselected parts.
Q: Why not make every instruction a duty? A: Duties are fully loaded every time, so they must stay short. Skills and playbooks load when relevant, which keeps detailed methods available without crowding every interaction.